Anchored hanger rod for vehicle cabins

ABSTRACT

An anchored clothes hanger rod for a truck sleeper cab, recreational vehicle or the like includes a rod supported by brackets, the rod having an axial cavity, and a tether disposed in the cavity and extending from opposite ends of the rod. The tether is secured to the rod brackets or supporting structure in the vehicle to prevent separation of the rod from the rod brackets.

The present invention is directed to a hanger rod apparatus for clothing or other items intended for use in a vehicle cabin such as a truck sleeper cab. More specifically, the invention is directed to a device for anchoring a hanger rod to a hanger bracket to prevent separation of the rod from the bracket.

BACKGROUND

In certain situations, clothes hanger rods in vehicle cabins, such as truck sleeper cabs and recreational vehicles, for example, may be subject to forces that could dislodge the rod from the supporting brackets. Abrupt decelerations and collisions are events that can produce forces sufficient to cause the rod to become separated from the bracket. The rod and the items hanging on the rod could be thrown in the cabin, presenting a hazard to the driver and other occupants.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention presents a solution with an apparatus including a means for anchoring the rod to the bracket.

According to the invention, a hanger rod is anchored to rod bracket and/or a mounting surface by a tether disposed in an elongated cavity in the hanger rod. Ends of the tether extend from the hanger rod and are fastened to the rod bracket, a mounting surface such as a wall or cabinet panel, or to both.

The tether may be a cable made of steel or another suitable material, wire rope, a webbing strap, a braided wire belt or strap, a chain, or a similar elongated element having sufficient tensile strength to anchor the rod.

The ends of the tether are fastened by any convenient method, including forming a loop in the ends of the tether and securing the loop to the bracket by an interposed part of the bracket or supporting surface. For example, a protuberance, such as a post or post-like structure around which the loop may be placed, may be provided in the bracket or supporting surface.

Alternatively, the tether may be clamped to the bracket or supporting surface. According to yet another alternative, mounting hardware may be provided on the ends of the tether for fastening the ends to the bracket or supporting surface.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bracket is mounted to a horizontal panel in the vehicle that defines a lower surface of a cabinet enclosure. The tether extends through a hole in the panel and a loop in the end of the tether is engaged around a leg structure that supports a shelf in the cabinet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a section view of an embodiment of a hanger rod system in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an end view of a rod bracket for the system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a frontal view in section of a preferred embodiment of an anchored hanger rod system in accordance with the invention. The drawing is not to scale and is simplified for easier comprehension.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a hanger rod 20 is supported by a pair of rod brackets 30. The rod brackets 30 are mounted to a surface 5 of a vehicle cabin, in the illustrated embodiment, the surface 5 is the bottom wall of a storage cabinet and the rod brackets 30 depend downwardly. Alternatively, the rod brackets 30 may be mounted to a vertical surface or vertical surfaces and depend horizontally. Of course, the rod brackets on a vertical surface would have sufficient length to space the rod far enough from the vertical surface to allow for hanging clothing or other items.

FIG. 2 shows an end view of a rod bracket 30 according to a preferred embodiment. The rod bracket 30 is mounted to the surface 5 by threaded fasteners 40 that pass through the surface 5 from an opposite side and fasten to threaded holes formed or provided in the rod bracket. A shelf mounting bracket 50 is fastened by the fasteners 40 to the surface 5, and forms a unit with the rod bracket 30. A shelf 10 is supported by the shelf mounting bracket 50 and is secured to the mounting bracket by a rivet 12.

The rod bracket 30 includes a circular wall portion defining a recess 32 in which a free end of the rod 20 may be inserted and thus engaged with the bracket. As shown in FIG. 1, the opposite ends 22 of the rod 20 are received in the recess 32 in each bracket 30 to suspend the rod by the brackets.

According to the invention, the rod 20 defines an axially extending cavity 26. In its simplest form, the rod 20 comprises a steel tube. A tether 60 is disposed in the cavity 24 and free ends 62, 64 of the tether 60 extend from the opposite ends 22, 24 of the rod 20 and are secured to a supporting structure in the cabin.

In the illustrated embodiment, the free ends 62, 64 of the tether 60 extend from holes 26 formed in the rod 20 at the ends 22, 24. Alternatively, the free ends 62, 64 of the tether could extend from the open end of the rod through a hole 36 formed in the portion of the rod bracket 30 defining the recess 32.

The free ends 62, 64 of the tether 60 are secured to supporting structure to anchor the rod 20 and prevent its separation from the rod brackets 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the free ends 62, 64 pass through holes 7 in the surface 5 and are secured to the mounting brackets 50. As shown, the free ends 62, 64 are formed as loops, and encircle the mounting brackets 50.

Alternatively, a stud or other projection could be mounted to the surface 5 on the side opposite the rod brackets 30 to engage the loop. According to another alternative, the free ends 62, 64 of the tether 60 could looped through holes 34 formed in the rod bracket 30, shown in FIG. 2, and closed in a loop, thus being secured to the rod bracket.

According to another alternative, the free ends 62, 64 could be clamped or bolted to the rod bracket 30, as shown by the clamp 70 in FIG. 1, to the surface 5, or to another structure. According to yet another alternative, the free ends 62, 64 of the tether 20 could extend through the hole 36 in the wall in the rod bracket recess 32 and be secured to rod bracket.

The tether may be secured to both the rod bracket 30 and the cab surface 5, which would anchor both the rod 20 and rod brackets 30 to the cab surface. According to one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 1, a clamp 70 secures the tether to the rod bracket 30 and the tether is also looped around the shelf support bracket 50.

The tether 60 may be formed as a cable, wire rope, a webbing material strap, a braided wire belt or strap, a chain, or a similar elongated element having sufficient tensile strength to anchor the rod. If a strap is used, the tether could be secured to a supporting structure by providing a hole in the tether and using a fastener to secure the tether to the structure.

The invention has been described in terms of preferred structure, principles and embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that variations and substitutions can be made in practicing the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An anchored hanger rod system, comprising: rod brackets mountable in spaced relationship for supporting the hanger rod; a hanger rod supported by the rod brackets and having an elongated, axially extending cavity; a tether disposed in the axially extending cavity in the hanger rod and having free ends extending from the opposite ends of the hanger rod; and, means for securing the free ends to a supporting structure.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each free end has a loop formed therein and wherein each rod bracket includes an element around which a loop is engageable.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rod brackets each comprise a mounting bracket for supporting a shelf, and wherein the loop encircles the mounting bracket.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein each rod bracket includes a projection around which the loop is engageable.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for securing the free ends comprises clamps fastenable to a supporting structure which clamp the tether.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tether is a cable.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tether is a strap.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein said means for securing the free ends of the tether comprises a headed fastener inserted through a hole in the tether and fastenable a supporting structure.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for securing the free ends comprises means for securing the free ends to the rod brackets and means for securing the free ends to a supporting structure to which the rod brackets are mounted.
 10. An anchored hanger rod apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a pair of rod brackets mounted to a surface of the cab in spaced relationship, the rod brackets having engaging structure for supporting a hanger rod; a hanger rod engaged with the rod brackets and extending therebetween, the hanger rod having an axially extending cavity forming openings at opposite ends of the hanger rod; and, a tether disposed in the axially extending cavity of the hanger rod, opposite ends of the tether extending from the openings in the ends of the hanger rod and being secured to the respective rod bracket.
 11. The anchored hanger rod apparatus of claim 10, wherein each rod bracket includes a mounting bracket for supporting a shelf, the tether including a loop engaged around the mounting bracket.
 12. The anchored hanger rod apparatus of claim 10, wherein each rod bracket includes a protuberance and the tether including looped ends for engaging the respective protuberances.
 13. The anchored hanger rod apparatus of claim 10, wherein the opposite ends of the tether are clamped to the respective rod bracket.
 14. The anchored hanger rod apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tether is a cable.
 15. The anchored hanger rod apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tether is a strap. 